Adjustable cap



S. FELDMAN ADJUSTABLE CAE June 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May l5, 1958 INVENToR. mue/ /T'/cfmczzz BY wf l l .-I

l l A AVA A A A' A ATTORN EY ls. FELDMAN ADJUSTABLE CAP June 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Filed May l5, 1958 NVENTOR. BY ,fama/.QZ '/a/man ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,889,558 ADJUSTABLE CAP Samuel Feldman, Hewlett, N.Y. Application May 15, 1958, Serial No. 735,596

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-183) invention relates to headwear in the form of caps, and more specifically concerns caps which are adjustable to various head sizes.

It has been proposed to make adjustable caps which may have their head sizes varied to suit a particular wearer. Such caps usually comprise relatively movable sweat band or crown portions which are interconnected in adjusted positions to provide the desired head size. The connection between the relatively movable parts is effected by means of coacting snap fasteners or other fastening means spaced at regular intervals corresponding to the successive head sizes at 1/8 or 1A intervals. However, a cap wearer may desire to adjust his cap to a size intermediate the standardized size intervals, for maximum personal comfort; yet with conventional adjustable caps, the adjustment can only be made in terms of a size which is either slightly smaller or slightly larger than the optimum, desired size.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide an adjustable cap having improved means for adjusting and presizing the cap to any desired head size which may either coincide with standardized head sizes or may be intermediate successive standardized head sizes.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting the head size of a cap which is compact in form, easily applied to the cap and quickly manipulated to make the required adjustment in head size.

Another `object of this invention is to provide in an adjustable cap, improved, one-piece clasp means for effecting the adjustment of the capi to any desired head size, which requires a minimum amount of assembly effort for mounting the same on the cap and eliminates the need for segregating the sevaral parts of a multiple component type of connector and the need for two separate operations in mounting such connector on the cap.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a cap embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a partial elevational view showing the overlapping sweat band portions;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a partial elevational view showing the clasp in engaged relation to the overlapping sweat band portions;

Fig. 6 is a rear view of a modified form of cap construction;

Fig. 7 is a partial elevational view showing the overlapping sweat band portions in the cap shown in Fig. 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 5, 10 designates an adjustable cap embodying the invention. The same comprises a crown generally indicated at ll, with the usual visor 12 extending from the forward portion thereof.

Crown 11 is made up of fabric panels seamed together and including a top panel 13, side panels 14, 15 stitched ICC together at their side edges on the front of the crown and stitched at their top edges to top panel 13, as at 16. The crown 11 further includes a pair of back panels 17, 18 stitched respectively to side panels 14, 15 and also stitched to top panel 13 as at 19. The marginal side edge portions 20, 21 of back panels 17, 18 respectively, are disposed in overlapping relation.

A continuous sweat band 22 of leather or the like, is stitched at its lower edge 23 to the inwardly and upwardly turned marginal portions of side panels 14, 15 and back panels 17, 18. Sweat band 22 comprises at the rear thereof terminal portions 24, 25 having edges 24a, 25a; said edges 24a, 25a being substantially coterminous with the side edge portions 20, 21 respectively of back panels 17, 1S. Thus, terminal portions 24, 25 of sweat band 22A will also be in overlapping relation.

Means is provided for securing the overlapping sweat band portions 24, 25 in longitudinally adjusted relation, to provide an innite number of predetermined head sizes for cap 10, wherein such head sizes may be preset to coincide with standardized sizes or may be intermediate any pair of successive standardized sizes.

To this end, a unitary clasp 26 is fixed to the inner surface 27 of innermost sweat band portion 25 adjacent edge 25a thereof, said clasp being operative to engage marginal edge portions of outermost band portion 24 adjacent terminal edge 24a thereof.

Clasp 26 is formed of bent metal including a long wall portion 28, which may be riveted in place to the sweat band as at 29, and a short wall portion 30 connected by a bight 31 to long wall portion 28, to provide a channel 32 between the wall portions for slidably receiving therein upper marginal edge portions of sweat band portion 24.

Wall portion 30 of clasp 26 is slotted to provide a pair of laterally related inturned portions forming barrels 33. A gripper element 34 is turnably mounted on wall portion 30, said element including oppositely extending pintles 35 rotatably mounted in barrels 33. Element 34 further includes a gripper wall portion 36 and a handle portion 37 projecting from wall portion 36.

Clasp 26 is mounted on sweat band portion 25 with bight 31 thereof substantially coextensive with top edge 38 of said sweat band portion. Gripper element 34 may be turned about pintles 35 upwardly to clear channel 32 for slidably receiving therein the upper marginal edge portions of sweat band portion 24 and allowing the terminal edges 24a, 25a of the sweat band to be adjusted in their overlapping relation to provide a desired head s1ze.

The gripper element 34 may be turned downwardly by means of handle portion 37 to bring gripper wall portion 36 thereof into gripping relation with opposed portions of the sweat band, thus retaining the overlapped sweat band portions in the selected head size. The gripper element 34 may be quickly moved to its release position by turning handle portion 37 in the proper direction, thus allowing readjustment of the overlapping sweat band portions to another selected head band size.

As shown in Fig. 3, the adjustment of the sweat band portions 24, 25 may be such as to bring edge 25a into registry with the size line markings on band portion 24 for the standard head sizes 7%, 7%, 71/2, etc. Also, the adjustment may be made in a manner to select intermediate sizes, such as that indicated by the dotted line a-a at a point midway between size 71A and 7%, or by the dotted line b-b at a point just short of size 71/2.

With the single overlap of the sweat band portions as shown in cap 10, the medium to large head sizes may be encompassed, say by 7% to 7%. However, with a modied construction, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, the cap 3 a may be adjusted and presized for head sizes ranging from 6% to 7%.

Cap 10a comprises the top panel 13a having an in tegral, one piece back panel 38 seamed at the upper side edge portions thereof to side panels 14a, 15a to points 39, leaving the lower lateral edge portions of the back panel disconnected from the adjacent edge portions of side panels 14a, 15a. Wing portions 40, 41 are seamed to the lateral edges of back panel 38, said wing portions being overlapped at their lower ends by lateral portions of side panels 14a, 15a.

Cap 16a is provided with a continuous sweat band extending around the lower edge of the front and sides of crown 11a and secured to the bottom edges of side panels Ma, a as at 23a; and having opposite end portions 42, 43 with terminal edges 42a, 43a which are substantially coterrninous with lateral edges 44, 45 of side panels 14a, 15a respectively.

A separate sweat band portion 46 is seamed at its lower edge to the lower edge of back panel 38 and wings 40, 41, as at 47, said band portion 46 terminating in edge portions 4S, 49 with lateral edges 48a, 49a which are substantially coterrninous with the lateral edges of wings 4), 41. Thus, the sweat band portions 48, 49 are overlapped by sweat band portions 42, 43 respectively, as shown in Fig. 7.

Similar clasps 26, 25a, such as previously described, are fixed on the inner surface of sweat band end portions 42, 43 adjacent terminal edges 42a, 43a therof, for slidably receiving the upper marginal edges of end portions 48, 49 of sweat band 46.

As previously described, each of the clasps 26, 26a may be opened to allow for longitudinal adjustment of the overlapping sweat band portions, to locate the same in any desired position, whereby to establish selected head sizes, either those coincident with standardized sizes, or sizes intermediate such standardized sizes.

It will be noted that sweat band 46 carries markings for the standardized head sizes, the paired sizes at each marking allowing appropriate adjustment of overlap at either or both ends of said sweat band to achieve a selected standard head size. Thus for a selected size, the terminal edgs 42a, 43a must register with the markings on sweat band 46 which show said size. Location of said terminal edges at positions intermediate said mark- 4 ings will give selected intermediate sizes.

As various changes might be made in the embodiments of the invention shown herein without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that the disclosure herein is illustrative and not by way of limitation except as lset forth in the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

l. A cap comprising a crown having vertically split, overlapping, slidably related rear portions providing edges, a sweat band secured along one edge thereof to the bottom edge of said crown, the free edge of said sweat band extending upwardly within said crown when said cap is worn, said sweat band having split terminal edges coextensive with the respective split edges of said crown, the terminal edge portions of said sweat band being disposed in overlapping slidable relation, and clasp means for presizing the cap and secured to the overlapping sweat band portion which is inntermost when the cap is worn, said clasp means comprising a U-shaped wall member-with the connecting bight portion thereof substantially coterminous with the free edge of said innermost sweat band portion, the marginal portion of the outermost of said sweat band portions at the free edge thereof being slidably received in said U-shaped member to dispose the free edges of said overlapping sweat band portions in opposed relation, and gripper means on said clasp means for gripping an opposed portion of the outermost of said sweat band portions to retain the overlapped sweat band portions in adjusted overlapping relation to each other, said gripper means being located between the outermost of said sweat band portions and an opposed portion of said crown.

2. A cap as in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped clasp member comprises a pair of opposed walls, means for securing one wall to the outer surface of the innermost of said overlapping sweat band portions, Said gripper means comprising latch means turnably mountedon the other wall for frictional engagement with the outer surface of the outermost of said sweat band portions.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 410,750 Dale Sept. 10, 1889 1,837,695 Werner Dec. 22, 1931 2,458,275 Kriebel Ian. 4, 1949 2,775,769 Henschel K Jan. 1, 1957 

